When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
About Me
I am the lead middle school history teacher at Harlem Academy, an independent school in New York City. In my seven years at Harlem Academy I have not only written, developed, and implemented the history curriculum but I am also the lead advisor to eighth grade students, and the faculty advisor for the Lower School Service and Entrepreneur’s Clubs. In addition, I am also a Master Teacher Fellow and Site Coordinator for the Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History. This past summer I have collaborated on two seminars for the institute. In the first I led pedagogical sessions on using primary sources about the American Revolution for twenty-six K-8 educators at Columbia University. I also co-led a professional development seminar with Tim Bailey for the Omaha Public Schools District’s history department. |
I am an avid reader, Boston Red Sox fan, happy husband, pack leader to two small dogs and live in Brooklyn, New York. When not reading historical texts or leading middle school scholars in historical investigations, I enjoy collecting presidential campaign pins, drinking way too much coffee, attempting to BBQ in a tiny NYC apartment, and discussing politics.
About the Curriculum
The Junior Historians curriculum is in its third iteration at Harlem Academy. In addition to curriculum planning, mapping, development, and implementation, I have also written, compiled, and edited six primary-source based workbooks that students use in the classroom.
Students approach US history through the prism of a two-year document based question: How have we progressed towards the founding ideal of forming “a more perfect union?” Our ingenious 238-year experiment in democracy is not without flaws and certainly not a guarantee. Students utilize our founding documents – the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the US Constitution - as a rubric to evaluate the successes and failures of our nation.
Junior Historians fosters a sense of responsibility and civic pride in our nation and government. Students understand the framework of our government and understand how change happens in a democratic society and that an educated, well-informed, and active populace is integral to the success of democracy. My students understand their role as drivers of change in the future, interpret the nation’s past, and have a firm grasp of how citizens can achieve change in a democracy.
The two-year curriculum is presented over six trimesters in the seventh and eighth grade and covers the “discovery” of North America through current events. Each trimester is broken into a thematic study of the American saga:
o The Boston Massacre – When did we become Americans?
o Bleeding Kansas – Was the Civil War inevitable?
o The Spanish-American War – When did the United States become a world super power?
o The Brown v. Board of Education ruling – How has our nation ensured civil rights for its citizens?
o The Gulf of Tonkin Incident – When did the United States change the way it went to war?
o 9/11 Terrorist Attacks – How has global terrorism changed the world landscape?
Each area of study begins with an immersive examination of a pivotal turning point in US History. Then students investigate primary source materials to trace the ideas and events that precipitated the turning point. Students assess how the nation’s history changed as a result of that turning point through continued primary source investigation. This unique approach stresses critical understandings of cause and effect, sequencing events, and the interplay of historical problems and solutions.
The Junior Historians curriculum is based in the investigation of primary sources. Though primary sources can be difficult for students to read and understand, they are an essential tool that makes history accessible, personal, and “sticky.” Primary sources are incredibly useful tools in teaching bias, intent, audience, and to root all investigations in actual, real history.
Junior Historians students base their understandings in primary sources, but they also read current event newspaper articles and non-fiction graphic novels. This past year my eighth graders have read March by John Lewis and The 9/11 Commission Report Graphic Novel to enhance their understandings of modern history.
The Junior Historians curriculum is in its third iteration at Harlem Academy. In addition to curriculum planning, mapping, development, and implementation, I have also written, compiled, and edited six primary-source based workbooks that students use in the classroom.
Students approach US history through the prism of a two-year document based question: How have we progressed towards the founding ideal of forming “a more perfect union?” Our ingenious 238-year experiment in democracy is not without flaws and certainly not a guarantee. Students utilize our founding documents – the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the US Constitution - as a rubric to evaluate the successes and failures of our nation.
Junior Historians fosters a sense of responsibility and civic pride in our nation and government. Students understand the framework of our government and understand how change happens in a democratic society and that an educated, well-informed, and active populace is integral to the success of democracy. My students understand their role as drivers of change in the future, interpret the nation’s past, and have a firm grasp of how citizens can achieve change in a democracy.
The two-year curriculum is presented over six trimesters in the seventh and eighth grade and covers the “discovery” of North America through current events. Each trimester is broken into a thematic study of the American saga:
o The Boston Massacre – When did we become Americans?
o Bleeding Kansas – Was the Civil War inevitable?
o The Spanish-American War – When did the United States become a world super power?
o The Brown v. Board of Education ruling – How has our nation ensured civil rights for its citizens?
o The Gulf of Tonkin Incident – When did the United States change the way it went to war?
o 9/11 Terrorist Attacks – How has global terrorism changed the world landscape?
Each area of study begins with an immersive examination of a pivotal turning point in US History. Then students investigate primary source materials to trace the ideas and events that precipitated the turning point. Students assess how the nation’s history changed as a result of that turning point through continued primary source investigation. This unique approach stresses critical understandings of cause and effect, sequencing events, and the interplay of historical problems and solutions.
The Junior Historians curriculum is based in the investigation of primary sources. Though primary sources can be difficult for students to read and understand, they are an essential tool that makes history accessible, personal, and “sticky.” Primary sources are incredibly useful tools in teaching bias, intent, audience, and to root all investigations in actual, real history.
Junior Historians students base their understandings in primary sources, but they also read current event newspaper articles and non-fiction graphic novels. This past year my eighth graders have read March by John Lewis and The 9/11 Commission Report Graphic Novel to enhance their understandings of modern history.
About this Website
History can be cumbersome to young students because of the massive scope, complex issues, and our tendency to mythologize our past, particularly our major historical figures. Most US History courses struggle to get past World War II and thus leave students with an outdated view of our nation and the world. By choosing depth, not breadth, of coverage the Junior Historians curriculum unpacks the most important themes of US History up to present day. This fosters an understanding of the role of our shared past – our history – in our current lives. In fact, the Junior Historians’ logo communicates this ideal: a Venn diagram showing the intersection of a specific place and time. The Junior Historians curriculum finally answers the big “so what?” question of history: We study history because it informs the world we live in today and can be an invaluable tool in making decisions about our future.
History can be cumbersome to young students because of the massive scope, complex issues, and our tendency to mythologize our past, particularly our major historical figures. Most US History courses struggle to get past World War II and thus leave students with an outdated view of our nation and the world. By choosing depth, not breadth, of coverage the Junior Historians curriculum unpacks the most important themes of US History up to present day. This fosters an understanding of the role of our shared past – our history – in our current lives. In fact, the Junior Historians’ logo communicates this ideal: a Venn diagram showing the intersection of a specific place and time. The Junior Historians curriculum finally answers the big “so what?” question of history: We study history because it informs the world we live in today and can be an invaluable tool in making decisions about our future.